Motor Trader was in the Far North recently to do a spot of fishing and take in the sights of Cooktown. We made it a point to drop by our member Tyrepower Cooktown to learn about the business in the Cape from Manager Nay Ranasinghe.

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Tyrepower Cooktown has many products and services, tell us a little about the business and what you do.

NR: Tyrepower Cooktown is a part of the enterprise arm of the Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation (GCCAC). Gungarde Community Aboriginal Corporation is a not-for-profit organisation delivering a range of services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Cooktown and surrounding districts.

Gungarde’s vision is to provide a sustainable service to the Indigenous Community in Cooktown and surrounding areas, act in the best interest of indigenous people, and foster positive initiatives for the greater benefit of the region as a whole.

Our corporation aims to provide our community members with adequate accommodation, health programs, access to education and work opportunities, whilst promoting the preservation of Aboriginal social and cultural integrity. Gungarde Community Centre Aboriginal Corporation is based in Cooktown Far North Queensland and has been operating since 1982.

Tyrepower Cooktown is an enterprise arm of the Gungarde Community Centre. We supply tyre products and services for passenger and off-road vehicles, trucks and heavy earthmoving machinery, forklifts, agricultural equipment and both civil and mining machinery. In addition, we also provide a full comprehensive vehicle service and inspection station throughout Cape York to various customers including community, local, State and Federal Government vehicles, trucks and buses of all sizes. We also have a new modern car wash and vacuum facility located at our 2 Ferrari Street premises.

Our services include RACQ towing and roadside assistance, tyres and wheels, agricultural tyres, mechanical servicing repairs, batteries, brake repairs, exhaust system, puncture repairs, steering repairs, suspension, towing, wheel alignment and balancing, waste collection for residential areas in Cook Shire and Wujal Wujal Shire, skip bin hire and removal, septic pumping, and car wash.

How long have you been established?

NR: GCAC began operating in 1982 and first opened the doors to the Tyrepower store in 2014. Since then, we have grown from strength to strength.

What is your background in the Automotive industry?

NR: I am a fully qualified mechanic, licenced automotive air conditioning technician, and a licenced vehicle tester in Victoria.

Are you still hands on in the business today?

NR: Yes, very much so. On a daily basis I carry out mechanical repairs, air conditioning repairs, tyre fitting, wheel alignments, and provide RACQ roadside assistance for our customers.

Who is on your team?

NR: We have a relatively large team but we also provide a very broad range of services so it is important that we have such a diverse selection of skills. Gregory Whittaker is the CEO of GCAC Enterprises, Warran Kulka is a Director of GCAC Enterprises; Helen Hanush is a Director of GCAC Enterprises; I am the manager of Cooktown Tyrepower; Lorraine Rosser is our accountant; Josephine Temple takes care of our administration and customer service in the front office; while Steven Curteis, Patrick Czislowski, and Ashan Chathuranga are in the workshop on the tools.

What are your plans for the business in the next few years?

NR: We are a community-owned business and it is very important to us that we meet the needs of our community. It is essential to us that we maintain healthy business growth and focus on our community relationships.

To grow the business we will use new technologies and leverage social media to reach out to a wider customer base. We have exciting plans to improve the self-serve car wash with more functions making it an automatic car wash. We also want to improve all the other parts of the business such as our waste and septic removal service. This allows us to create employment opportunities for local people and deliver essential services to our residents and visitors in the community.

What advice would you give to a young you starting out in the industry?

NR: I would advise a young me to get in and learn and do the work. Young people in the industry often think they know everything. It is important for young people starting out in the automotive industry to be a good listener, be punctual, and not be too choosy on what you have to do when training in a workshop.

How much importance do you place on social media for your business?

NR: We haven’t been using social media as a business tool effectively. We have a Facebook page that we post on every few months. We are planning on using social media for advertising and also to reach out and engage with the community.

What do you see as the greatest advancement in technology for your business?

NR: Introducing the diagnostic tool has been a great opportunity for the business. This has allowed the workshop to carry out diagnostics of new and sophisticated vehicles quickly and accurately.

Do you think the advancements in electric cars will have an impact on your business?

NR: I do not believe in a future with electric vehicles. The world won’t go too far from internal combustion vehicles. The future vehicles will have alternative environmentally friendly fuel such as hydrogen. The university of New south Wales has successfully modified a conventional diesel engine to run on hydrogen and a small amount of diesel.  My opinion is that there will be no impact on automotive industry, but we will have to sharpen our knowledge to face the future technical advancement.

How long have you been a member of MTA Queensland?
NR: We signed up as a member of MTA Queensland three years ago.

What has been the greatest benefit of your MTAQ membership?

NR: Workplace support benefits, skills extension, and training are the biggest benefits. It is very useful to have a professional organisation that can tell us what the industry standards are and support our business to grow.

What are your greatest challenges?

NR: Like many businesses in remote, regional areas, lack of staff is the main challenge. It is hard to find qualified staff and often we are competing with high paying jobs in the mines to retain them.

What training do you do with staff?

NR: Training is a big focus for us as we are always looking for opportunities for our staff to upskill and improve the service we offer. That training is more than just skills on the tools. We carry out a lot of health and safety training to make sure that the safety of our team and our customers is always a priority.

What do you do with your spare time?

NR: Living in Cooktown is living in an outdoor adventure paradise. Nothing is close by, but I enjoy travelling so that is OK. Every chance I get I get out to go four-wheel driving and camping.

What cars do you own personally?

NR: I have a Toyota Landcruiser 200 series and a Nissan Navara STX550. They are perfect for the lifestyle up here with long distances, camping and off roading.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (May 2023) 

15 May 2023